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Originally Posted by LuftWolf
So, I guess I'm wondering specifically about tactical uses of the mines in terms of offensive capabilies?
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In the US, mine warfare has tended to be neglected until recently, although it's been less neglected among NATO allies. It's not exactly glamorous, and mine sweepers just aren't as cool as destroyers, aircraft carriers, and cruisers. The thing is, battlefield realities have forced the US to start considering mine warfare. SACLANT, the big military / oceanographic research facility in Italy is sponsored by NATO and has a ton of resources devoted to mines. The bottom line is that more US tonnage has been damaged in recent conflicts by mines than any other naval weapon. They are a SERIOUS problem.
Besides mining enemy harbors and keeping them bottled up in port, mines are useful in a variety of ASW and ASuW scenarios.
A P-3, for example, could drop a line of mines to cut off an enemy ship's or sub's escape routes. If they can't go through the minefield without standing a good chance of getting wacked, then suddenly, the P-3's search just got an awful lot better. Similar scenarios are possible with submarines.
Mines are useful for defending boomer bastions. In fact, in Stefanick's
Strategic Anti-Submarine Warfare he talks specifically about that scenario. The book is kind of dated (it's very 80s), but it's still good stuff. It goes into about as much detail as the unclassified literature available to wargamers can see. The Soviets / Russians have always been big fans of mines.
Mines are a huge factor in amphibious operations, they expect to find mines starting in the deep and continuing right up into the surf zone. One of the things that Navy SEALS are tasked to do is clear surf zone mines. Historically, that was the original rationale for what became SEALs / EOD. The LHA Tripoli was damaged by a mine in the first Gulf War. Similarly, the landing at Pusan was delayed because of mines.
Launching a minefield into the path of an oncoming group of warships is one very good way to begin an attack. Even if just one ship gets hit, they'll have to slow down and be a lot more cautious, making your approach much easier. When the limiting lines of approach for a surface group are spread 45 degrees apart versus 20 degrees apart, your life is much easier.
Mines were launched in the shipping lanes by Iranian submarines during the Tanker Wars in the 80s, according to a former destroyer commadore I used to work with. Any time you want to close a choke-point (Straights of Taiwan, Straights of Malacca, Straights of Tiran, Port Said, Straights of Hormuz, Straights of Gibralter, the mouth of the Bosphorus, the Denmark Straights, the Bering Straights, the entrances to the Sea of Okhotsk, etc), mines are an excellent way to do that.
One thing I actually wish they had in the sim was for the bottom type to influence the detectability of mines. Certain types of mines tend to get buried in sandy bottoms, so they're harder to find. Bottom roughness and the presence of pollution can make mines exceptionally difficult to find. In a harbor, for example, every piece of trash that ever fell off the back of a ship in the past 100 years looks like a mine on sonar and has to be investigated. You'll never find them all.
Drifting minefields are a potential threat in deep water. They're just mines that haven't been moored to anything and float with the currents causing random chaos and destruction all over the place. Mines that malfunction and break away from their moorings often end up on neighboring nations beaches. They have a similar effect of sewing random chaos and destruction throughout a warzone.
Mines could be used to enforce economic sanctions against hostile nations. While legally an act for war, depending on the politics of the time, people might not be too upset about it.
I hope this gives you all a start from which you all can start imagining evil things to do with mines.